Name: Nick Barman
Background
48-year-old Nick Barman is a Hampshire Police Constable, working as a Road Policing Unit (RPU), who has been with the force for 23 years. He is based at Whitchurch, in North Hampshire.
Whilst responding to an accident on the A31 at Four Marks, near Alton in Hampshire, on February 4, 2013, an Audi car he was overtaking, swerved without warning, clipping the front of the BMW R1200 motorcycle Nick was riding. At the time of the collision he was travelling at a speed of 130 mph. Unable to regain control of the motorcycle, Nick hit a storm drain in the central reservation, causing the bike to cartwheel.
Nick was thrown into the handlebars, breaking both legs and his knees, before being catapulted through the air for approximately 300 feet, travelling over the heads of the paramedics tending to the accident that Nick was en route to. On landing, the motorcycle skidded some distance before colliding with a stationery vehicle. As a result, Nick broke his left ankle, his pelvis in four places, his little toe, and his lower back. On collision with the stationery vehicle, Nick broke his left shoulder and several ribs, collapsing his left lung and stopping his heart. Nick was revived by Paramedics attending the original accident. The Southampton Air Ambulance flew to Southampton General Hospital (SGH) to collect a surgeon, who was flown back to the scene to operate at the roadside to restart Nick’s heart and stabilise him, before he was airlifted to SGH, where he was put on a life support machine in ICU.
Initially Nick was expected to be a double amputee, and to never walk again because the injuries to his legs were so severe. However, 30 hours of surgery, and equipment which the Blue Lamp Foundation helped to fund, has rebuilt Nick’s broken body and he is now on the road to a full recovery, although that is expected to take at least another two years.
How did the Blue Lamp Foundation help?
Nick found the Blue Lamp Foundation through the charity’s local champion in Basingstoke. Initially he dismissed the information he was provided with because he was at too early a stage in his recovery. As Nick is 6ft 2inches tall, his pride would not allow him to sit in a wheelchair. He wanted to be out and about, and didn’t want to rely on the help of others to bathe or change him. After revisiting the help available from the Blue Lamp Foundation, Nick decided to apply for a grant from them to aid his rehabilitation.
How was the help delivered?
The Blue Lamp Foundation approved a grant of £884 to pay for a Continuous Passive Motion (CPM) machine and a bath lift to help Nick in and out of the bath. CPM machines, in particular, are used in the first phase of rehabilitation, following soft tissue surgical procedures. A CPM machine helps to control post-operative pain, reduce inflammation, provide passive motion in a specific plane of movement, and protect the healing repair of the tissue. The device constantly moves the affected joint through a controlled range of movement. It also allows for the improved movement of synovial fluid to allow for better diffusion of nutrients into damaged cartilage and the diffusion of other materials out, such as blood and waste products. It also helps to limit the formation of fibrous scar tissue in the joint, which can decrease the range of future motion.
The impact this help had on the individual’s life
Following his accident, Nick lost all the muscles in his legs, with ligaments taken from other parts of his body to turn into new muscle. Before the award of the grant from the Blue Lamp Foundation, Nick was washing at the kitchen sink and had to travel to his girlfriend’s grandmother’s house if he wanted to shower.
The use of the CPM equipment, in particular, has really benefitted Nick, especially after his latest bout of surgery, to get his muscles working again. This, combined with his passion for his job, is driving him to get back to as normal a life as he can. He is now walking with the aid of leg braces and a crutch, something the trauma surgeons initially thought would be impossible.
The future
Nick has undergone what he has called “the longest six months of my life.” He requires future surgery for his injuries, with his latest operation requiring 11 weeks of recovery. Whilst this has set him back, overall, it should improve his future recovery. He hopes to make a full recovery, and to one day, injuries permitting, to return to the force as a frontline officer, and to even return to the saddle of a motorcycle.
